Improvement in mode of switching street-cars



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN S. REID, OF MUNCIE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN IVIODF OF SWITCHING STREET-CARS Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 48,978, dated July 25, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. REID, of Muncie, in thecou'nty of Delawareand State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSwitching Street-Gars; and Ido herebydeclare that the following is `at'ull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings and the letters and figures marked thereon,which form part of this specification.

The nature of my said invention consists in the application oremployment of a novel device upon the cars, which 'can readily beoperated by the driver, whereby the cars may be easily and infalliblyswitched from one track to another without the employment of theordinary movable rail or frog, and thereby obvia-ting the necessity ofthe driver, conductor, or other persons getting off at each switch forthat purpose, as hereinafter more fully and at large set forth andexplained.

To enable those skilled in the .art to understand how to construct anduse my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with par.ticularity, making reference in so doing to the aforesaid drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 represents a side view of my invention; Fig. 2, aninterior side view of the same, alongitudinal section being takenthrough the car; and Fig3 is a front or end view seen in perspective,showing also a view of the converging tracks.

Similar letters of reference in the different figures denote the sameparts of my invention.

A represents the iioor or bottom of the car, B B being the ordinarytruck-wheels, upon which the car is supported, having a ange upon theinner side thereof to prevent the car from running off the track.

C C represent a pair of wheels of a suitable size, arranged just infront of the car-Wheels, substantially as shown, and provided with anexterior ange, as shown. The said wheels C are so arranged as to lieabove the track when not in use, but when operated as hereinafterdescribed they lie upon and in contact with the track, the flange lyingagainst the outer side thereof. The said wheels are arranged upon theshaft D, having its bearings in an adjustable box or boxes, (marked 60,)which have a vertical reciprocating motion in the grooves or 'slots inthe standards G, as shown and hereinafter described. Said shaft D issupported at its center by the post or rod H, and toward each end by thesprings d d, the upper ends of which are attached to the bottom of thecar in any suitable manner.

E represents a lever, having its fulcrum at I, and resting upon or closeabove the shaft D, its front end being connected with the vertical postor arm F, which'passes up through the platform upon which the driverstands a short distance, so that he may readily place his foot upon oneor the other of said posts F as the occasion may require. f

T T represent the rails of the main track, and R It the rails of thebranch track, the end of the terminating rail of each track being fixedand stationary, substantially as represented in Fig. 3.

Having described the construction 0f my invention, I will proceed todescribe its opera tion.

As the car is approaching the switch, as seen in Fig. 3, ifit is desiredto continue along the main track T T, the driver places one foot uponthe top of the arm F and presses itdown,where upon the lever E forcesdown the shaftD, overcoming the tension ofthe spring d, and brings thewheel C down upon the rail, and the iiange of said wheel G lying againstthe outside of the rail compels the car to move along upon said track T,as desired. If, on the other hand, it be desired to run the car upon thebranch track It R, the driver presses down the arm F', upon the oppositeside of the car, thereby forc ing the corresponding wheel C down uponthe rail R, when the action of the flange, as afore said, will in likemanner switch the car off upon the said branch track R It.

By placing the herein-mentioned invention at each end of the car, thesame may with equal facility be run in either direction.

The wheels C may be fixed upon the shaft D or made to revolve uponthe-same, as pre/ traok and providing` the saine with a I'rietion- Wheelto roll against the rail, or in any other suitable manner.

Although I consider my invention 'as especially adapted to street-ears,still it may be applied eqnallyas well npon railroad-trains, upon thelocomotive or rear ear ot' the train,or both, as may be desired.

Having described the nature, construction, and operation ot' myinvention, I will now specify what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

l. Shifting or switching ears from one track to another by pressure uponthe outside of the rail or track, snbstantiall)v as herein specified.

